![]() To incorporate new beginnings as a way to encourage users to do something, start by considering what motivates your users. (Of course, you shouldn’t force users to share their birthdates only for this purpose.) Fresh starts are a good opportunity to nudge users in a direction that is beneficial either for them or for the site: they may finally get to learn that foreign language, or sign up for that continuing education course, or hire a financial advisor. Here’s one obvious implication of the 9-enders phenomenon: if a site knows its users’ birthdates, then it could take advantage of that extra motivation that happens around end of a decade. For example, among 500 first-time marathon runners, the 9-enders were overrepresented by 48% compared with age groups ending in a different digit. As a result of that reflection, they engage in meaning-seeking behaviors. For example, researchers Adam Alter and Hal Hershfield show that when approaching a new decade in chronological age (e.g., 9-enders: 29, 39, 49, etc.), people are more likely to examine their lives for meaning. Sometimes the effect occurs in anticipation of the new beginning. This feeling opens the path for people to initiate goal-oriented aspirational behaviors. Temporal landmarks that signify a new time period-a fresh start– help us leave our missteps in the past and create an untarnished feeling for our present and future selves. Psychologists studying the fresh-start effect show that it works because highlighting meaningful occasions creates a clean slate for people to make better decisions. We also remember times in our past when we’ve failed at those goals. Most of us have ways that we’d like to improve (e.g., exercising more, eating healthier, putting more money aside for savings). Temporal landmarks that are personally meaningful, such as job changes, moving to a new city for the first time, and observance of public or religious holidays, can also cause this effect. This phenomenon is referred to as the fresh-start effect.ĭefinition: According to the fresh-start effect, people are more likely to take action towards a goal after temporal landmarks that represent new beginnings.Įxamples of landmarks that trigger the fresh-start effect include the start of a new week, month, year, school semester, or birthday. Special occasions or temporal landmarks, such as a new year, cause people to reflect on their lives in a big-picture way, which in turn inspires them to set goals for better behavior. Have you ever made a New Year’s resolution? Even if you haven’t, you probably know at least a few people who have set a goal for themselves, taking advantage of the fresh start that a new year brings. ![]()
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